The Idea of Unschooling

In homeschool settings, the phrase "unschooling" is discussed often.  This action refers to the idea of educating through a child's life experiences, rather than at the mercy of curriculum and benchmarks.  As a teacher, I refer to it as "teachable moments."  Only the moments are not actually moments, but instead are constant and unorganized and fast...very fast.  Michael, my second child, aged 3, lives every second on the verge of a teachable moment. His eyes are open to the letters on a STOP sign, a butterfly laying sideways in the grass, and the squeaking sound his wet sneakers make across the wood floor.  He asks questions within a question and does not wait for my answer to move onto the next question.  Watching his mind work faster than his lips move is outstanding.  I have yet to sit with him, paper and pencil in hand to teach him letters, numbers, or colors.  But already, he gets what learning is all about.  Our school has no boundaries, no worksheets, and no state assessments.  To us, this is the most natural learning!

                              "What we want to see is the child in pursuit of knowledge,
                                              not knowledge in pursuit of the child."

                                                        - George Bernard Shaw